Folding stool



Oct. 10, 1944. M. BLACK 2,359,821

FOLDING STOOL Filed June 9, 1943 Ii llill Ill i l/Ill/Ilrllllr/ll,!Illlllllllllllllllllllll/all/A IIIIIIII-IIIIIIIII EVWAW.

Patented Oct. 10, 1944 FOLDING STOOL.

Mike Black, Cincinnati, Ohio, assignor, by' mesne assignments, to. Benjamin S. Schwartz, (Dincinnati, Qhio Application June- 9, 1943, Serial No. 490,127

7. Claims- This invention relates to. folding stools; and has special reference to portable. stools of the polypodous type having hinged seats and hinged legs which are foldable or, collapsible into a minimum of space,

An object of the invention is to provide an improved portable folding. stool comprising a seat pivotally connected with a controlling guide rod extending forrelative sliding movements through an elongated vertical sleeve, in combination with a plurality of legs having their upper ends pivotally connected withsaid sleeve for swinging movements from downwardly diverging positions toward said sleeve to folded or collapsed positions, and links pivotally connecting intermediate portions of said legs with said rod below the lower end of said sleeve in a manner to: diverge said legs when said rod is moved downwardly through said sleeve to a position in which said seat is upon the upper end of said sleeve, and also to move said rod longitudinally in said sleeve to a position in which the pivotal connection of said seat with said rod is beyond said sleeve, leaving said seat free to be-swung laterally toa position approximately parallel with said sleeve when said legs are folded or collapsed together, as aforesaid.

Another object of the invention is toprovide an. improved polypodous folding. stool provided with. a. seat. having a. downwardly extended rod section rigidly attached thereto and pivotally connected with one end of a controlling. guide rod, in combinationwith a. plurality of legs having their upper ends pivota-lly connected with said sleeve, and also having their intermediate portions pivotally connected with said rod below said sleeve and, controlled by relative movements of said sleeve and rod to diverge said legs when the seat is on or adiacent to the upper end of said sleeve, and to converge or swing said legs together when said sleeve and red are, moved relatively to uncover and. release said pivotal connection and leave the seat free for lateral swinging movements in one. direction.

Another object of the invention is to providea strong and durable folding stool of, the portable type attaining all of the objects and advantages herein made apparent or inherent in said device, reference being made to the annexed drawing, in which Fig.1 is aside elevation of my improved polyp.- odous. folding; stool having the legs diverged from a central vertical. axis and the seat adjusted for Fig, 2 is.-asideelevationshowing the leg mechanismand the seatv in. intermediate positions in which. the. legs are only partially spread. apart.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation showing the legs. con.- verged. or folded together and the. seat folded at one side ofthe legs and. at one. side. of the central controlling guiderod andthe sl'eeveinwhi'ch said rod is mounted.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view approximately on. the

line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 isv an enlarged detail. sectional; View showing the pivotal connection attaching the seat to the. central controlling guide, rod, taken on the line 55'of Fig.3.

My improved portable folding sto'oi comprises a. seat I which is preferably rounded or circular in form. The seat may be-madeof'meta-l or other material suitable for'this purpose; As-shown, the seat is of disc form and is composed of relatively thin sheet metal, and is formed with adown- .wardlyextended circumferential flange 2 which substantially strengthens and prevents deformation of the seat. A shortstem or rod section: 3 is integral or rigid with a plate. 4 secured to: the central: underside or the seat I: by welding: or otherwise. The plate 4 providesan. attaching device for the stem or red: section. 3,. and. also functions: to strengthen: the: central portion of. the seat I- It cooperates directly with the; circun ierential strengthening flangev 2 to prevent'de-iormation of the entire seat. By-useoi the'combined attaching and strengthening; plate: .4 and circumierentialflange 2', a strong; and durable seat-member maybe provided by use 051" thinner material than would otherwise be required the. seat. The lower end of the stem or rodsection 3 isconnected by a pivot. 5 with the upper-end of a con.- trollin de rod- A kn k e o nt i rma n 311 on the end. of. the, stem or rod section 3.'pro.-

vides: an arrangement which permits. stem or rod section 3 to swing: laterally one direc,- tion to aposition in whichit. is. approximately at right angles to the rod 6' (Fig. 5.) in order to iold the seat I upon or against the folded or. con.- verged legs of the stool. The knuckle jointior a ion rev n swme e mov ment o th s em or rod section 3 in the; opposite direction. Pref.- erably, thev stem or red section. 3. and the con,- trolling guide rodfi areoi approximately thesame diameter.

A sleeve 1. is mountedv on the-rodfi-ior relative sliding movements from. a position which said sleeve encloses the stem or rod section-1 3. and-the pivot 5 when the. stool is; adjusted for use (Fig. l) to a position, in which. the stem or rod sec.- tion 3 and the pivot. 5: are; entirely beyondand sition in which the stem or rod section 3 and pivot 5 are beyond and outside of the sleeve 1, the seat I may be swung laterally to a position in which said stem or rod section 3 is extended at right angles to the rod 6 (Figs. 3 and 5). A flange 8 is rigidly attached to the upper end of the sleeve I and abuts directly against the plate 4 when the stool is in use and the stem or rod section 3 and the pivot 5 are wholly enclosed within the sleeve I. In this position, the sleeve: 1 holds the stem or rod section 3 rigidly in alinement with the con- "pairs of ears I rigid with the flange 8. The legs are connected with the ears I0 by pivots I I located equidistant from said flange '8 and also equidistant from the axis of the sleeve I. A series of links 'I 2 have their outer ends connected with the respective legs 9 by pivots I2a and their inner ends connected by pivots I3a. with arms I3 projecting outwardly from a bracket I4 rigid with thelower end of the controlling guide rod 6 below the sleeve I. This provides a mechanism in which the seat I is pivotally connected with one end of the controlling guide rod 6 adjacent to the upper end of the sleeve I, and the legs 9 are pivotally connected with the opposite end of said guide rod 6 beyond the lower end oi said sleeve I. The pivotal connections between the legs 9 andthe upper end oi the sleeve I and the lower end of the controlling guide rod 6, respectively, provide devices or mechanism whereby all of said legs are converged or drawn together when the rod 6 and sleeve I are moved relatively as ,far as possible in one direction, as shown in Fig. .3, and are diverged when the rod 6 and sleeve I are moved relatively to a position in which said sleeve wholly encloses the stem or rod section 3 and the pivot and in position in which the flange 8 is seated against the underside of the plate 4. In the upper position of the sleeve 1 in which the flange 8 is seated against the plate 4, the seat I is supported rigidly in a, horizontal position; and, when the sleeve- I is moved downwardly along and relative to the rod 6 to a position in which the legs 9 are substantially parallel, the seat I may be swung laterally in one direction.

In their converged or folded positions, the legs 9 extend at opposite sides of the arms I3 from the ends of the links I2 which pivotally connect said legs with said respective arms. The lower ends of the legs 9 may be enclosed in removable and replaceable elastic sockets or 'feet I5, which will not mar or damage the floor or floor covering upon which the stool is used.

All of the parts of my improved folding stool other than the sockets or feet I 5 may be made of metal in order to obtain maximum strength. However, it is evident that the invention is not restricted to the use of metal, and I contemplate the use of any other material or combination of materials suitable for this purpose. The construction and arrangement of the device and the elements thereof may be varied within the scope of equivalent limits without departure from the the nature and principle of the invention as defined by the appended claims. 7

outside of said sleeve (Fig. 2). In the latter po- I claim:

1. A portable folding stool comprising a tubular sleeve, a controlling guide rod extending longitudinally through said sleeve for relative longitudinal sliding movements and having a length greater than the length of the sleeve, a seat, a device pivotally connecting said seat with one end of said rod and being movable with said rod to a position in said sleeve in which said sleeve holds said seat in a plane at right angles to the axis of said sleeve, a plurality of legs having their upper ends pivoted to said sleeve, and links pivotally connecting lower portions of said respective legs with said rod below said sleeve whereby said legs are diverged when said rod is moved longitudinally to a position to enclose said device in said sleeve and are converged when said rod is moved to a position in which said device is beyond and outside of said sleeve.

2. A portable folding stool comprising a tubular sleeve, a controlling guide rod extending longitudinally through said sleeve for relative longitudinal sliding movements and having a length greater than the length of the sleeve, a seat, a device pivotally connecting said seat with one end of said rod fOr movement to a position in which said device is enclosed in said sleeve and to a position in which said device is beyond said sleeve, a plurality of legs, means pivotally connecting the upper ends of said legs with said sleeve, an element attached to said rod below said sleeve, and links pivotally connecting said element with said respective legs for diverging said legs when said rod is moved longitudinally to a position to enclose said device in said sleeve.

3. A portable folding stool comprising a tubular sleeve, a controlling guide rod extending longitudinally through said sleeve for relative longitudinal sliding movements and having a length greater than the length of the sleeve, a seat, a device pivotally connecting said seat with one end of said rod for movement to a position in which said device is enclosed in said sleeve and to a position in which said device is beyond said sleeve, a plurality of legs, means pivotally connecting the upper ends of said legs with.,.said sleeve, an element attached to said rod below said sleeve, and linkspivotally connecting said element with saidrespective legs for converging said legs when said rod is moved longitudinally to a position in which said device is beyond and outside of said sleeve and in which said seat is free for lateral swinging movements.

4. A portable folding polypodous stool comprising a seat, a downwardly extended stem rigidly attached to the central underside of said seat, a controlling guide rod having its upper end pivoted to the lower end of said stem and leaving the stem free to swing to laterally extended position from a position in which said stem is axial- 1y alined with said controlling guide rod, a sleeve mounted for sliding movements on and along said guide rod to and from a position in which said sleeve encloses said stem and also said pivotal connection, a plurality of legs having their upper ends pivoted to said sleeve, and links pivotally connecting the lower portions of said respective legs with said guide rod belowsaid sleeve. e

5. A portable folding polypodous stool comprising a seat, a controlling guide rod, a device pivotally connecting said guide rod with the underside of said seat for supporting said seat above and to one side of one end of said guide rod, a sleeve mounted for sliding movements on and along said guide rod from a position in which said sleeve encloses said device to a position downwardly therefrom, leaving said device and seat free for lateral swinging movements, a plurality of legs having their upper ends pivotally connected with said sleeve substantially above the lower end thereof, a bracket attached to the lower end of said guide rod beyond the lower end of said sleeve, and a link pivotally connecting each of said legs with said bracket and operating to spread said legs apart when said rod is moved downwardly through said sleeve and to draw said legs together when said rod is moved upwardly through said sleeve.

6. A portable folding polypodous stool comprising a seat, a downwardly extended stem rigidly attached to the central underside of said seat, a controlling guide rod having its upper end pivotally connected with said stem and leaving said stem free to swing to a laterally extended position from a position in which said stem is axially alined with said guide rod and vice versa, a sleeve mounted for longitudinal sliding movements on and along said guide rod from a position in which said sleeve encloses said stem and thereby holds said stem axially alined with said guide rod to a position in which said stem is beyond the end of said sleeve for swinging movement to said laterally extended position, a plurality of legs having their upper ends pivotally connected with the upper end of said sleeve, a bracket rigidly attached to said guide rod below the lower end of said sleeve, and links pivotally connecting said bracket with said respective legs and operating to spread and hold said legs apart when said sleeve is moved upwardly along said guide rodand said stem.

7. A device of the character described comprising a circular relatively thin sheet metal seat having a circumferential downwardly extended flange, a plate secured to the central underside of said seat cooperating with said flange to preventdeformation of said seat, a downwardly extended stem attached to said plate, a controlling guide rod, a pivot device securing the lower end of said stem to the upper end of said guide rod and leaving said stem free to swing to later-ally extended position from a position in which said stem is axially alined with said guide rod and vice versa, a sleeve of less length than said guide rod mounted for sliding movements therealong to and from a position in which said sleeve encloses said stem and also said pivot device, a plurality of legs of greater length than said sleeve having their upper ends pivotally connected with the upper end of said sleeve, a bracket rigidly attached to said guide rod below the lower end of said sleeve, and links pivotally connecting said bracket with said respective legs and operating to spread said legs apart when said sleeve is moved upwardly along said guide rod and also operating to draw said legs together in approximately parallel relationship when said sleeve is moved downwardly along said guide rod to a position in which said stem is above and outside of said sleeve for swinging movement to laterally extended position as aforesaid. h

18 MIKE X BLACK.

mark

Witnesses to mark signature of Mike Black:

MARCY V. QUAIN. JOHN D. RIPPEY. 

